“Yes, the Haitian earthquake was tragic and terrible. True, life is so fragile and can be over so quickly, as it now is for so many thousands in that little country, and yet men still do not seek the Lord. Haiti is a place filled with Romanism, voodooism, and many other blasphemies against the Lord; and yet the once-Protestant West is hardly any better today, and surely judgment cannot be too far off. Indeed it has already begun and is increasing. The Lord is not mocked. Only in Christ is there peace and safety for eternity.”

Shaun Willcock ministers the Gospel of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ to the people of South Africa through Bible-Based Ministries here: http://www.biblebasedministries.co.uk/about/

'6,007 people complete website form to defect from Catholic Church'
Irish Times online
Link: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0123/1224262926591.html

Excerpt:

“CHURCH DEFECTIONS: A TOTAL of 6,007 people have completed a ‘‘declaration of defection’’ from the Catholic Church in Ireland according to the website www.countmeout.ie

With John Calvin's statement, there can be no argument, for God Himself declares:

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17)

And what's more, my experience confirms that it is so.

I oftentimes call to remembrance that seemingly insignificant gesture on the part of the Christian woman (Maxine)so many years ago who gave me God's precious Word, and bless the Lord for putting her in my path. No wonder then, as I consider the transforming power of His Word in my own life, that the Lord has said that we are not to despise the day of small things. (Zech. 4:10)

And here then my brother is a word in season to encourage you to persevere in your street evangelization:

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Dan. 12:3)

I give up John . . my curiosity is aroused. Who are you quoting?

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man, which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit, which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."
(I Cor. 2:11-12)

Thank you for sharing something of your conversion experience with us. I too was awakened by the terrors & threatenings of God's Holy law approx. 18 years ago, when a Christian woman presented me with a Bible. As a R.C. I was woefully ignorant of God's Word, but God who is merciful, meant for me to have it & read it at that time.

I can testify as well that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom & to depart from evil, that is understanding.(Job 28:28) As one Godly Gospel Minister has said . . the sinner must first be brought to Mt. Sinai before he can be brought to Mt. Calvary, & that certainly agrees with my experience. For it was only after I was apprehended by the thunderings of God's Holy Law that the precious words of Jesus . . Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest unto your souls . . (Matt. 11:28-30) came home to my heart with power. Yes indeed, the Living Word of God has both convicting and converting power. (Rom. 1:16)

Psalms 30:5

"For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

Lam. 3:22-23

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

and one of my favorite verses, though I confess I have many . . .

Micah 7:18

Evidence of some Christians in Haiti:
***********
Aftershock drives more from Haitian capital

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100121/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_earthquake

EXCERPT:

But Wednesday's aftershock, the stench of the lingering dead, and the tears and upstretched hands of helpless Haitians made clear that the country's tragedy will continue for months and years as this poor land counts and remembers its losses.

After the tremor's dust settled Wednesday, street merchant Marie-Jose Decosse walked past the partly collapsed St. Francois de Salles Hospital in Carrefour Feuille, one of the worst-hit sections of town. She raised her arms to the sky, and spoke for millions.

"Lord have mercy, for we are sinners!" she shouted. "Please have mercy on Haiti."

************
Psalms 62:11-12a
“God hath spoken once: twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Rev. 6:12-17
***********
A Word in season for Lord's people . . Psalm 46!
". . though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof . . verse 3

His word, the doctrines and precepts of it, they are all consistent with the holiness and righteousness of God; and so are his judgments on wicked men, they are righteous, just, and true:

God is righteous in all his ways, there is no unrighteousness in any dispensation of his; and such are his corrections of his own people, and which seem to be chiefly intended here and are so called, because they are done in judgment, with moderation and gentleness, in wisdom, and to answer the best purposes; and they are all right, for the good and profit of the people of God, that they may be partakers of his holiness, and not be condemned with the world: this the psalmist knew by experience and owned and acknowledged;

"The Lord did not sit passively by and let sin run its damaging, destructive course. Neither should we."

********
You're right Frank . . He preached the Gospel.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the accceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19)

And we are to do likewise for that is the commission . . the mandate Christ gave His Church.

Protestant?

PRAYER

Almighty God, who orderest all things in heaven and earth, and in whose hand is the life of man and beast, have pity on us miserable sinners, who are now visited with great sickness and mortality among our cattle. We have nothing to say for ourselves. We humbly confess that we deserve Thy chastisement, because of our many national sins. But spare us, good Lord, according to Thy many mercies. Deal not with us according to our sins. Withdraw from us this grievous plague, and restore health to our cattle. Above all, stir up amongst us true repentance, and increase true religion in the land. We ask all in the name and through the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory.

Amen.
********
On a personal note . .

Yes indeed . . we are quickened by the living Word of God that liveth and abideth forever from our deadness in sins and trespasses, and made spiritually alive by the Spirit of the Living God.

The saved are said to be raised up to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus
(Eph. 2:6) and referred to as those "risen in Christ", (Col. 2:12; Col. 3:1)those raised to "newness of life",(Rom. 6:4) and there are other passages in Scripture that could be cited as well.

In Revelation 20, verse 6, we read:
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Though we are yet in the world, the Christian is no more of the world, even as Christ was not of the world.
(John 17:14-17)
********
Though God's Word tells us things will wax worse and worse, (II Tim.3:13) Christ has commanded His followers to go into the world with the Gospel that others might believe on Him through our word. (John 17:20)

I believe that those spoken of in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 are those in John 5:28-29 who are referred to as those "that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;", that is, those who have been saved by grace, those converted to Christ and alive unto God, those who have been made "new creatures in Christ" as well as those who have died, that is, "died in the Lord".

I guess I don't quite see a contradiction, as I did not mention a time when believers would be caught up together to be forever with the Lord? ? ? I believe these two passages can be thus harmonized.

********
John, then how do you understand 1 Thess. 4:13-18:

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

I've already done extensive research into the matter and am fully persuaded the Authorized Version is God's Word and that God Himself has preserved it.

I am equally persuaded, as others have said, who are far more qualified to speak to the controversy than I, that the multiplication of bible versions has brought nothing but confusion into the body of Christ. Satan is the author of confusion, not God!

'The Vatican Billions . . Two Thousand Years of Wealth Accumulation from Caesar to the Space Age'
Avro Manhattan

Link to this Article: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vatican/vatican_billions.htm

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:21